Attachment for tractors



ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS @Werne/1j Dec. 2, 1930. J. D. cUMMlNGs 1,783,282

f ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTOR S Filed June '13, 1927 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES l JAMES n. oUMMVINGs,

OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AtfrrAcHMENT son TRAo'roRs "Application sied June 13,1927. seriai No. 198,374.

1 My invention relates to tractors and particularly an attachmentfortractors of ordinary construction, by means ofwhich the tractoriscombined with a truck platform 5 and a hoisting attachment therefor.

The ordinaryv tractor as now constructed is adapted particularly forpulling opera* tions only, it being: contemplated that a truck orgsome`operated vehicle be attached to the l tractor for transportation. e

It is an object of myfinvention to provide an .attachment for a simpleform:of tractor device enabling the tractor to perform the services of atruck, so that loads may be car- .15 ried directly'through the tractorand the attachment combinedV therewith.

It is a further object to provide in Vconnection with the attachment, ahoisting device enabling the use of the tractor for hoist- 20 ing andpulling operations. 1

It is also desired that the hoisting device be arranged to enable.l thetractor to pull itself out ofjany rut o-r'hole in the -road in which itmay become stuck.`

The invention resides particularly in the construction of the attachmentand its arrangement upon the tractor, whereby the tractor, is convertedinto a load carrying Vvehicle with means thereon for hoisting orpulling.

wReferringto the drawing herewith, Fig.

1 isV aside elevation of a tractor with my attachment'lthereon. Fig. 2is a broken section taken approximately on the line 2.-2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a rear elevation `of the tractor with my invention thereon.

`In carrying out my purpose of providing an extension upon the tractorwhereby loads may be carried directly by the tractor extension, Icontemplate providing a platform arranged upon a framework which may beattached rigidly'to the bodyrof the tractor and supported upon.theoriginal wheels of the tractor as it is now sold in the market.

With special reference to Fig. 1, I have shown a tractor indicated at A.The vtractor employedY may be. of any ordinary ytype having a Yforwardaxle 1, upon which are mounted wheels 2 at the forwardlend thereof,ThQlQWer part .of the tractory includes a crank case 3, andattached tothe rearward end of the tractor frame is a rear axle assembly: 4, whichincludes the usual differential and housing. It is to be understood thatthe said rearaxle is `adapted to be operated by mechanism within thetractor, the particular construction of this mechanism forms no part ofmy invention.

I contemplate removing the rear wheels 5 from the axle 4 and using said'wheel `as one v60 ofthe supporting members formy attach ment. VSaidattachment includes two side beams or framemembers 6 of heavy channeliron construction, theforwardend of which is supported upon brackets 7secured upon 6.5 the side of-flange 8 of the crank case 3, as shown inFig. 2. The bracket 7 furnishes a support for the upper web of thechannel iron'and is secured'there'toby bolts9, thus making a firm andrigid` sup-port` for the forward end of the frame. The frame members 6are curved upwardly and attached to axle` 4, and are then extendedrearwardly at 10 to support a platform 11.

The axle 4 which originally supported the rear wheels is extendedthrough the frame members 6 and a sprocket wheel 12 is mounted' uponeach end of the said shafts or axle to be operated by the mechanismwithin the tractor. Y Y

To support the rear end of thevvehicle, I provide a supplementary rearaxle 13V which is formed to receive the wheels 5 removed from the axle4. Uponthe rear axle 13thus provided, I support the rea-r end of theframe springs 14 supported centrally upon the axle 13 and connected withthe frame members 6 through shackles 15 and 16.

Between the spring members 14 and the wheels 5 upon the shaft 13, Imount a sleeve 16 having thereon a sprocket 17. It is to be understoodthat there'are two of the sleeves 16 with the sprocket wheels thereon,one at each end of the axle and spaced between the c supporting springand the wheels. The lsleeves 16 are idle upon vthe axle but either maybe moved into v,engagement with the wheels of the tractor` or with asleeve 18 upon the axle. Each sleeve 16 is therefore pro- Y Vmembers 6through the intervention. of

vided at each end thereof with teeth 19 adapted to engage with the teeth20 upon the wheels at one end, or with the teeth 21 upon the sleeve 18at the other end. In this manner rotation may be communicated from thesleeve to drive the vehicle or to rotate the sleeve 18. The sleeve 16therefore forms a clutch to engage with either of the two operatedmembers. It is adapted to be moved into engagement with either of theoperated members by means of a forked clutch lever 22 engaging withingrooves 23 in the sleeve 16. Such clutch lever is fulcrumed upon a pin25 supported Within a bracket 24 mounted upon the frame of the car.

The sprocket wheels 17 are connected for operation with the sprocketwheels 12 on the shaft 4 through a chain 26, and it is to be understoodthat the control of the operation of the shaft 4' is through the usualtransmission ordinarily employed upon tractors whereby the direction andspeed of rotation may be controlled in the usual manner.

Mounted upon the sleeve 18 upon the shaft 13 is a hoisting drum 27 ofthe usual spool shaped construction, having a cylindrical drum uponwhich a cable may be reeled through the rotation thereof, said drumhaving a radial flange 28 at each end thereof. It will be seen that thedrum may be rotated in either direction through the connection of thesleeve with the operating sleeve as previously described.

It will be seen that I have provided an attachment which may be mountedupon a tractor of ordinary construction with very little change in thetractor. The attachment makes it possible to provide a platform uponwhich a load may be carried, said platform being an integral part of thetractor, and it further provides a hoisting or pulling device which maybe employed whenever necessary. It is contemplated that the winch orhoisting drum will be employed for the raising or pulling of loadsrelative to the tractor when desired, but a further and important usefor the winch lies in the fact that it enables the operator of thetractor to pull the vehicle out of the mud hole or similar situation inwhich the vehicle may become stalled. rIhus when the wheels of thevehicle may become lodged in a mudhole from which the operation of thewheels can not propel the vehicle, it is then possible to wind the cableabout the drum 27 and extend the cable either forwardly or rearwardlyrelative to the Vtractor and anchor the cable to some stationaryobject,such as a post or a tree, then by reeling up the cable upon thedrum the vehicle may be moved from the place in which it is anchored. Itenables the driver of the car to extricate himself from a position fromwhich he might otherwise be released only by the assistance of someother source of power, such as a tractor or a team of horses.

There are many advantages in a vehicle of this type residing in thedetails of its construction as have been set forth. It is believed thatthese advantages will be clear to those skilled in the art withoutfurther description.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In atractor having a crank case, front and rear axles, and means to drivesaid rear axle; the combination of longitudinal frame ma-mbers, means onsaid crank case to support the forward ends of said members, asupplemental axle, drive wheels thereon, means on said supplemental axleto support the rearward ends of said frame members, said rear axle beingsupported in said frame, a sleeve rotatable on said supplemental axle, aplurality of operative means for connecting said rear axle and saidsleeve, and means to engage either of said operative means with saiddrive wheels.

2. In a tractor having a crank case, front and rear axles, and means todrive said rear axle; the combination of longitudinal frame members,means on said crank case to support the forward ends of said members, asupplemental axle, drive wheels thereon, means on said supplemental axleto support the rearward ends of said frame members, said rear axle beingsupported in said frame, a reel on said supplemental axle, operatingmeans driven from said rear axle, and means to selectively engage saidoperating means with either or both of said drive wheels or said drum.

3. In a tractor having a crank case, and front axles upon which saidcrank case is supported, a pair of the side frame members supported uponsaid crank case at their forward ends, said frame members being curvedupwardly between their ends, a rear shaft having driving wheels and ahoisting drum thereon, and furnishing a support for the rear ends ofsaid frame members, a stub shaft l j ournalled in said frame at the saidcurved portion, and means operated from said tractor to drive said stubshaft and said wheels or said drum in either direction as desired.

4. An attachment for tractors including a pair of frame members adaptedfor attachment at one end to the crank case of the tractor, an axle anda pair of wheels to support the opposite end, means to journal the rearaxle of the tractor in said frame members, a reel loosely mounted onsaid attachment axle, and independent means driven by either end of thetractor axle to selectively drive either said reel or said wheels.

5. An attachment for tractors including a pair of frame members adaptedfor attachment at one end to the crank case of the tractor, an axle anda pair of wheels to support the opposite end, means to journal the rearaxle of the tractor in said frame members, a

